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The History Extra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.

Produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine, History Extra is a free history podcast, with episodes released six times a week. Subscribe now for the real stories behind your favourite films, TV shows and period dramas, as well as compelling insights into lesser-known aspects of the past. 
 
We delve into global history stories spanning the ancient world right up to the modern day. You’ll hear deep dives into the lives of famous historical figures like Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn and Winston Churchill, and explorations of intriguing events from the past, such as the Salem witch trials, the battle of Waterloo and D-Day. 
 
Expect fresh takes on history, helping you get to grips with the latest research, as we explore everything from ancient Roman archaeology and Viking mythology to Renaissance royals and Tudor kings and queens. 
 
Our episodes touch on a wide range of historical eras – from the Normans and Saxons to the Stuarts, Victorians and the Regency period. We cover the most popular historical subjects, from the medieval world to the Second World War, but you’ll also hear conversations on lesser-known parts of our past, including black history and women’s history. 
 
Looking at the history behind today’s headlines, we consider the forces that have shaped today’s world, from the imposing empires that dominated continents, to the revolutions that brought them crashing down. We also examine the impact of conflict across the centuries, from the crusades of the Middle Ages and the battles of the ancient Egyptians to World War One, World War Two and the Cold War. 
 
Plus, we uncover the real history behind myths, legends and conspiracy theories, from the medieval murder mystery of the Princes in the Tower, to the assassination of JFK. 
 
Featuring interviews with notable historians including Mary Beard, Tracy Borman, James Holland and Dan Jones, we cover a range of social, political and military history, with the aim to start conversations about some of the most fascinating areas of the past. 
Unlock full access to HistoryExtra.com for 6 months for just 99p https://www.historyextra.com/join/

History Extra podcast

Women's role as slaveowners is often overlooked – but, just like men, they both profited from and maintained the institution of slavery. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, historian Miranda Kaufmann profiles several 'Caribbean heiresses' who married into the British aristocracy and brought huge wealth generated from slavery into the country. 

(Ad) Miranda Kaufmann is the author of Heiresses: Marriage, Inheritance and Caribbean Slavery (Oneworld, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2F9780861548019.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain's female slaveowners: the heiresses who made fortunes from enslavement

If you could sneak a peek past the front door of a Roman home, what could you expect to find? Why was having a hole in your ceiling a clever feat of engineering in the ancient world? How could sharing a communal toilet actually still be a very private act, and why was central heating a luxury in ancient Rome? Emily Briffett is joined by historian Dr Hannah Platts, as they step inside the ancient Roman home to uncover more.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Roman homes: everything you wanted to know

Historian, author and broadcaster David Olusoga is among the famous faces to feature on new TV series The Celebrity Traitors, which launches in the UK next Wednesday, 8 October on BBC One. But what are the opportunities, and dangers, when historians become celebrities? And to what extent should history be entertainment? Regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter share their thoughts. Plus: history’s most incredible imposters

Find the full episode and never miss an episode by heading to History Behind the Headlines or following this link: ⁠⁠https://play.megaphone.fm/4csqwegyqeca-lg7yumskq
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Preview: Should historians be celebrities?

There were many ways queer people in the Georgian era fought against social and legal restrictions to express their desire and convey their love for one another, from molly houses and marriages to adult adoption,. Speaking to Isabel King, Anthony Delaney discusses his new book Queer Georgians.

(Ad) Anthony Delaney is the author of Queer Georgians: A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers and Homemakers (Transworld Publishers, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fqueer-georgians%2Fanthony-delaney%2F9781529927689.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Queer life in Georgian Britain

If you lived in 16th-century London, would you have any idea what was happening in Paris, Venice or Frankfurt? Well, yes, according to Joad Raymond Wren – and that news could reach you quicker than you might expect. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Joad uncovers a complex network of communication operating across Europe between the end of the Middle Ages and the rise of modern mass media, from ambassadors' news bulletins to emerging postal services. 

(Ad) Joad Raymond Wren is the author of The Great Exchange: Making the News in Early Modern Europe (Allen Lane, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Exchange-Making-Modern-Europe/dp/0241188539/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=WiNnK&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b6d4bc1-013f-4684-8a3d-174e5cf88d17&pf_rd_p=6b6d4bc1-013f-4684-8a3d-174e5cf88d17&pf_rd_r=262-1509211-7609724&pd_rd_wg=Qidud&pd_rd_r=e40330ef-009c-40ff-9312-5510cb970586&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Breaking news! How stories spread in early modern Europe

He established the Metropolitan police, became embroiled in years of bitter disputes over the Corn Laws, and was vilified for his political U-turns. During his political career including two tenures as prime minister in the first half of the 19th century, Robert Peel didn't always have an easy ride of it. But, argues Richard Gaunt in this conversation with Ellie Cawthorne, Peel's political impact can still be felt today.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Robert Peel: life of the week

The German Peasants' War of 1524-5 was the largest popular uprising in western Europe before the French Revolution. Thousands flocked to its cause as it swept across vast quantities of German-speaking land with speed, determination and fire. But what began with calls for freedom, justice and reform ended in brutal suppression. Lyndal Roper explores the revolution's explosive causes, course and consequences in her Cundill Prize-nominated book Summer of Fire and Blood – Emily Briffett spoke to her to find out more.

To find out more about the Cundill History Prize, go to www.cundillprize.com.

(Ad) Lyndal Roper is the author of Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants' War (John Murray Press, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fsummer-of-fire-and-blood%2Flyndal-roper%2F9781399818025.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The German Peasants' War: a summer of fire and blood

In the interwar period, a movement emerged that brought together architecture, fashion, and even typography that echoed the hopes, anxieties and ambitions of the early 20th century. Charting the rise of a style that embodied the glamour of a changing world, from flapper fashion to high street cinemas, Emma Bastin talks to Elinor Evans about how Art Deco captured a world racing toward the future.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Art Deco: everything you wanted to know

For three quarters of a century, the Korean peninsula has been divided between two very different regimes that are bitterly opposed to each other. But did it have to be this way? In his book, A Fractured Liberation, which has been shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize, Professor Kornel Chang revisits the US occupation of the south of Korea between 1945-1948 to explore whether opportunities were missed for a better future. For today's episode, he shared his findings with Rob Attar.

(Ad) Kornel Chang is the author of A Fractured Liberation: Korea under US Occupation (Harvard University Press, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fa-fractured-liberation%2Fkornel-chang%2F9780674258433.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America in Korea: a failed occupation?

From cleaners to codebreakers, women’s contributions to the history of British intelligence have often gone unrecognised and forgotten. But in actuality, female operatives penetrated enemy networks, executed astonishing operations, and organised a labyrinth of classified documents. Speaking to Rachel Dinning, Claire Hubbard-Hall delves into the untold stories of women in British intelligence.

(Ad) Claire Hubbard-Hall is the author of Her Secret Service: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence (Orion, 2024). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fher-secret-service%2Fclaire-hubbard-hall%2F9781399603430.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The real Miss Moneypennys: the secret history of Britain's female spies

The morning of Tuesday 19 September 1944 was ripe with possibility for Allied forces at Arnhem, says Al Murray. Just 24 hours later, the die of defeat had well and truly been cast. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, the comedian and history buff discusses the failure of this bold attempt to deliver a crushing blow to Nazi Germany – and considers how poor planning, over-confidence and strong German resistance came home to roost in 24 fateful hours.

(Ad) Al Murray is the author of Arnhem: Black Tuesday (Bantam, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arnhem-Tuesday-Classic-Battle-Before/dp/0857506560/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.

Hear more from Al Murray here: https://link.chtbl.com/x2R-SHj_.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Arnhem: 24 hours that shattered Allied dreams

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